Take My Temperature
by Miss Light Bright
Summary: Yukine doesn't want to live anymore. Yato is hiding something. Hiyori just wants them both to be okay. *high school AU*
1. Chapter 1

Fifteen-year-old Yukine didn't want to be alive. There was too much piling up and no one cared and he knew that his life didn't matter. It was obvious! Did he see his drunk father coming to look for him? Did his busy, working mother even know he still existed? Well, they weren't looking for him, otherwise they would have found the note on his desk telling them where he was and what he was about to do.

He felt numb as he walked down the frosty path on the walking bridge that went over the frosty river below. His breath came out in heavy wisps, his fingers were tingling and white, and he shouldered the cold in only his t-shirt. It's not like he needed a jacket when he plummeted to his death.

Nonetheless, he breathed hot, moist air into his cupped hands and kept his head down. He just had to make the last few steps in the snow to the spot where he wanted to jump. It was this ledge in the middle the bridge. The river rushed the quickest in this area, the scenery was breathtaking, and most of all, it was out of view for most of the world. No one would have to witness what he was about to do.

He felt the tears gathering behind his eyes but he couldn't make himself let them fall. What good would it do?

Pausing for a short moment, he wiped at his eyes, looking back behind him, checking for anyone following. No one. Just his own footsteps in the unbroken white snow.

He let out a defeated sigh and continued his trek.

When he reached the part of the ledge he wanted, he kicked off his shoes and let his bare feet sink into the subzero snow. He winced but set to work at trying to get himself up onto the ledge, his frozen finger tips scrabbling at the slippery snow-ridden cement.

"What are you doing?" a soft voice interrupted him.

Yukine froze with his body half hoisted up onto the tall edge, caught in his act. He turned his head slowly and found another kid crouching in the snow nearby, likely older than him, snowflakes covering his hair and most of his body, as if he had been sitting there for a while. Yukine was surprised he hadn't seen him there, considering his hair was so dark against the snow.

There was a long pause where they just looked at each other, silently taking the other one in. Yukine glanced down at his cold grave and back again; then he let himself drop back safely onto the bridge, to turn and look at the kid with a hard glare. "Noneofyourbusiness," he mumbled, then looking away.

He blinked tears back, turning his head to face into the cold crack of the wind. He couldn't do what he wanted with this person staring him down.

"Put your shoes on, you're going to get frostbite," the kid told Yukine.

Yukine looked at him incredulously.

The kid gave him a knowing look. "We both know you aren't going to kill yourself with me here, so just put them on."

Yukine looked away but set to work at putting them back on. He would just have to come back when the kid wasn't here.

"Here, take this too," the guy said, shouldering off his green jacket and throwing it at him. It landed over his head and Yukine had to push it off angrily.

"Why are you doing this?" Yukine spat.

The guy looked at him, bored, and turned away to look up at the gray clouds. "No reason. Do what you want."

Yukine ground his teeth together, shoving his feet into the soaked shoes. This kid didn't care either, just like the rest of them.

"But I really don't think you should kill yourself."

"What?" Yukine asked, incredulous. "What do you know?"

The kid pulled himself up to sit up a little straighter and looked him square the eye, unnerving Yukine with the unwavering gaze. "I just think you should fight for yourself a little more. Anyone who chooses to off themselves is taking the easy way out."

Yukine threw the kid's jacket back at him, standing, hands curling into shaking balls. "You don't know anything."

The blue eyes were unflinching. "Maybe not, but I don't think you should kill yourself, okay?" He tossed the jacket back at him. "Just put it on."

Yukine held it tightly but didn't put it on. The surge of emotion was making the tears spill over and he couldn't stop it anymore. He sniffed loudly, rubbing at his eyes furiously. His chest was tight, throbbing with all the choked up sensation.

The guy stood, snow falling off as he did. "Here, take this too," he said, pulling a hat out of his track suit pocket. He unfolded it, coming closer, and then shoved it over Yukine's head. The kid's fingers brushed Yukine's blonde hair, shocking Yukine into taking a step back. When was the last time someone had touched him?

"You can give me the hat back later, okay?" he told him.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

The kid shrugged and straightened his scarf, smiling warmly. "Nothing, really." He paused to hold out his hand. "My name's Yato. That way we know each other when you bring me the hat back."

Yukine held out his hand slowly, hesitating. Yato met him half way and shook it. Both of their hands were cold as ice. "Yukine," he returned shyly, cheeks burning with embarrassment. He hoped he would never see Yato again.

Yato grinned. "Nice to meet you, Yukine. See ya at school. You can keep the jacket." He let go and made to turn and leave.

"Wait!" Yukine called, grabbing onto Yato's sleeve. "You go to my school?"

"Yeah," Yato shrugged. "I'm in the grade above you. I've seen you around. Haven't you seen me?"

"No… I don't think so…"

Yato dramatically laid a hand on his chest and did a fake cry. "No one recognizes me, how does this always happen?!" He turned to Yukine and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him comically. "Yuki, you can't forget about me!"

"It's Yukine," he said unimpressed.

Yato laughed, scratching his head. "Well, since you're my new friend, I can call you whatever I want!"

Yukine stilled at that, heart beating fast. He wanted to ask, how they could possibly be friends after talking for only a few minutes, but he was quickly interrupted.

"Well see ya around Yukine! I'll be waiting for my hat on Monday!" He waived before bouncing off, giving Yukine no time to reply. Instead Yukine watched him keep walking down the bridge before disappearing all together into the white flurries.

Yukine adjusted the hat on his head, allowing the flaps to sit more easily over his ears, and then looked down at the green jacket tucked underneath his left arm. It did look warm…

He unfolded it and then shrugged it on. It was comfortable and it engulfed him like a hug since he was a bit smaller than Yato. He wrapped his arms around his middle, his chest still hurting.

The darkness was still clouding the edge of his vision, like a predator waiting for him to give in, but after his conversation with Yato… the urge to jump was lessened.

He turned to the ledge of the bridge and peered over, feeling a sense of vertigo as he watched the rushing waves of the river. The sun sparkled down on it and the crisp air whirred at him, unrelenting just as before. It looked the same as he first come here but it was as it felt different…

Well, guess he didn't need to die today. He would just have to save that for another day.


	2. Chapter 2

Yukine could feel the rhythm of his heart thumping in his chest as he walked his way to school, tugging the green jacket closer to him as he spotted the school coming into view ahead. The hat was snug on his head and the combo of it with the jacket kind of made him feel safe… But he knew he had to give them back today to Yato. He felt a little reluctant to do so.

He sucked in a deep breath, getting closer to the school.

"Yukine!" a voice called behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

He turned to look, "Huh?"

An arm slammed down on his shoulders, jolting him and almost making him slip on the icy path. "Hey, Yukine, you still have my jacket! Looks like you took good care of it!"

Yukine looked up at him in a daze. "Oh!" he said, suddenly realizing who the person was in front of him. "Here, let me give this back to you." He shrugged Yato's arm off to start to lower the zipper.

Yato waved him off with a frown. "Hey, I already told you to keep the jacket, right? Besides, you'll freeze without it! You really are scrawny."

"I'll be fine," Yukine mumbled, chancing a glance up at Yato through his bangs. He took in Yato's pale complexion and the way his breath came from his lips in a soft puff of warm air. "Besides, you look like you're frozen. Do you always just wear that track suit?"

Yato shoved him in the arm, rolling his eyes. "At least I have a scarf on! That's all I need because I happen to be a god."

"You've got to be kidding me," Yukine groaned, starting to walk away without him. "I think I'm starting to realize the type of person you are."

"Wait, Yukine!" Yato laughed catching up again in no time and wrapping another arm across his shoulders. "You really should join my club."

"What club?"

"The Yato Club!"

Yukine walked faster. "Goodbye!"

"No, wait, it really is a good club," he said keeping up easily. "Hiyori's in my club too. Hiyori!"

A girl further in front of them turned towards them, her brown hair shifting in the wind. She wore a pink scarf over a light gray jacket and she smiled at them when she saw them. "Oh hi, Yato," she said cheerfully, slowing to allow them to catch up. They were getting closer to the front of the school and more kids began to appear around them. "Who's this?"

"This is Yukine, my newest member of the Yato Club."

Hiyori laughed, shaking her head. "Don't listen to him, Yukine, he's actually a really good guy." She held out a hand, smiling brightly. "I'm Hiyori, High school grade 3, class A, it's nice to meet you."

Yukine could feel himself heating up with embarrassment and insecurity, but he took her hand lightly nonetheless. "Yukine. Nice to meet you too. I'm grade 1, class B."

Hiyori grinned. "Well, you should come sit with me and Yato at lunch. It would be fun."

"Are you and Yato a thing?" he asked bluntly, sensing how fond she was of Yato.

"No!" they both cried, both stepping in front of him to stop their walk.

"She only saved me from getting hit from a bus a few days ago," Yato explained, rubbing the back of his head. He had a slight splash of red growing over his cheeks.

Hiyori laughed nervously. "And Yato came to visit me and the hospital and he's been kind of following me around ever since."

"Don't put it like I'm a stalker," Yato scolded her.

She only laughed, pressing a mitten-covered hand to her mouth. She continued to walk and the other two followed. "So how'd the two of you meet?" she asked as they crossed over the threshold of school property.

Yukine's eyes shot to Yato's, feeling a rise sense of panic. He didn't want anyone to know what had happened on Sunday. Would Yato tell her?

Yato's eyes flashed with emotion, before he quickly turned his eyes back to Hiyori. "Just was hanging out on the bridge. You know, the one by the convenience store?" Hiyori nodded while Yukine tensed, bracing for the inevitable. "And Yuki was just walking by and I thought he looked cold…" he trailed off and then grinned at her, gesturing at Yukine's jacket.

Well, Yukine figured, it was mostly the truth.

Hiyori's eyes dawned with realization as she looked over the jacket and then the hat Yukine was wearing. "Wow, that is so nice of you Yato!" she gushed.

Yato gasped. "What are you saying, Hiyori? That I can't be generous?"

"No, you can be sometimes," she laughed as they climbed the front steps of the school. They came upon the lockers and they paused there by the entrance. "It's just that I never see you socialize with anyone." She turned to Yukine and gestured at her friend. "And he skips school at least half the time." She gasped and then grabbed Yukine's hands, startling him. "Wait are you the reason he showed up today?"

Yato looked mortified. "No, absolutely not! I just felt like coming today."

Heat flooded Yukine's face as he looked down at his shoes. "Well, I mean he told me to give him back his hat on Monday, so I guess…"

"Oh!" Hiyori said, glancing up at the green and blue hat adorned on his blonde head, dropping Yukine's hands. "Wow, would you really wear that, Yato? It would look cute on you!" she beamed.

The horrified expression hadn't left Yato's face. "No, it looks way better on Yuki!"

"Yukine," he corrected Yato.

Yato put his face in his hands, scrubbing at his eyes, before turning back to them. He pointed at Yato. "That's it, you are keeping the hat, Yukine." He turned on Hiyori. "And you, stop saying embarrassing things in front of my new friend."

She opened her mouth to reply but he interrupted, waving a hand at her. "No, no one gets to say anything else. Meet me on the roof for lunch, got it?"

Yukine watched her nod before he realized that he was waiting on Yukine's reply as well. He nodded quickly, feeling his chest warm with the thought. The school year had been underway for a couple of months now and he usually didn't eat with anyone particular during lunch, usually opting to eat alone at his desk. He tried to hide a small smile.

Yato seemed to notice, eyes twitching down at his lips and then quickly away. He turned on his heel and trudged off without another word.

"Uh… see ya?" Yukine said after his retreating back.

Hiyori caught Yukine's confused expression and laughed. "Don't mind him, he likes to disappear like that all the time."

"He really doesn't come to school that often?" Yukine asked, his mind still stuck on that fact.

Hiyori bit her lip. "Yeah, the teachers make a big fuss about it and ask me where he goes, but even though we talk all the time, he doesn't really talk about himself or what he does when he's not at school…" she trailed off, eyebrows furrowed. She paused before the soft chime of the school bell sounded and she visibly forcing a smile back on her face. "You shouldn't worry about that stuff now. I'll see you at lunch okay?"

Yukine smiled back. "Yeah I guess I'll see you then," he replied, giving her a small wave before she headed off.

He made his way to his small locker, switching out his shoes for school and setting his street shoes inside, then started on his way to his classroom. Without those two, he felt the gaping black hole back in his chest. He watched the ground as he walked, making his way into his classroom and sitting down immediately at his desk. He got his materials out for class robotically.

Despite having two new people to talk to, he felt himself falling back into his usual routine, the one that felt like nothing matters. He sighed, glancing out of the window as the class got organized. Well, he would have to see how things would go at lunch. Maybe the two were people he could actually be friends with?

Maybe.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! So I am having a dilemma on this story, please help me out with it. Should I make Yato/Yukine a pairing relationship in this story or should we do more of a best friend relationship? Please let me know your preference!**


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